Workload management in a data storage system

Abstract

According to certain aspects, the presently disclosed subject matter includes a method, system and apparatus, for managing a plurality of disk drives in a storage system. The workload of at least one disk drive among the plurality of disk drives is monitored, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving data indicative of a temperature of the at least one disk drive. In case the measured temperature matches a predefined criterion, the modification of workload distribution across the plurality of disk drives is enabled, in order to reduce workload of the at least one disk drive.

1 . A storage system comprising a storage control layer operatively coupled to a plurality of disk drives, said storage control layer comprising at least one processor operable:
 to receive data indicative of a temperature of at least one disk drive among said plurality of disk drives, wherein said temperature is indicative of workload of said at least one disk drive; and   responsive to receiving a temperature matching a predefined criterion, to enable modification of workload distribution across said plurality of disk drives in order to reduce a workload of said at least one disk drive.   
     
     
         2 . The storage system of  claim 1 , wherein said storage control layer is further operable to determine whether said data indicative of a temperature, matches said predefined criterion; wherein a temperature that matches said predefined criterion indicates that the workload of the disk drive is irregular. 
     
     
         3 . The storage system of  claim 1 , wherein said control layer is configured to facilitate said modification by migrating popular data from said at least one disk drive to at least one other disk drive, said at least one other disk drive having a temperature not matching said predefined criterion. 
     
     
         4 . The storage system of  claim 1 , wherein said control layer is further configured to facilitate said modification by directing a read-request in respect of a first data located on said at least one disk drive to at least one other disk drive, said at least one other disk drive having a temperature not matching said predefined criterion and containing a second data which is sufficient for obtaining said first data. 
     
     
         5 . The storage system of  claim 4 , wherein said first data and said second data are identical. 
     
     
         6 . The storage system of  claim 4 , wherein said second data is obtained by applying a parity calculation to other data portions of a RAID stripe associated with the first data, wherein the other data portions reside on disk drives having a temperature not matching said predefined criterion. 
     
     
         7 . The storage system of  claim 1 , wherein said control layer is further configured to facilitate said modification by redirecting a write-request to at least one other disk drive, said at least one other disk drive having a temperature not matching said predefined criterion. 
     
     
         8 . The storage system of  claim 1 , wherein said predefined criterion is selected from a group consisting of a predefined temperature threshold value, and a temperature value representing the measured temperatures of one or more disk drives. 
     
     
         9 . The storage system of  claim 8 , wherein said temperature value can be derived from a group consisting of:
 a calculated median or variation thereof of measured temperatures of multiple disk drives;   an average or variation thereof of measured temperatures of multiple disk drives; and   a maximum of measured temperatures of multiple disk drives.   
     
     
         10 . The storage system of  claim 1 , wherein said storage control layer further comprises a temperature monitoring unit, and wherein said at least one disk drive comprises a temperature measurement unit, said temperature monitoring unit is configured to communicate with said temperature measurement unit in order to receive said data indicative of a temperature of said at least one disk drive. 
     
     
         11 . The storage system of  claim 1 , wherein said storage control layer further comprises a temperature comparator unit configured to define whether said received data indicative of a temperature matches said predefined criterion. 
     
     
         12 . A method of managing a plurality of disk drives in a storage system, the method comprising:
 monitoring a workload of at least one disk drive among said plurality of disk drives, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving data indicative of a temperature of said at least one disk drive; and   responsive to matching said temperature to a predefined criterion, enabling modification of workload distribution across said plurality of disk drives in order to reduce workload of said at least one disk drive.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said monitoring further comprises determining whether said data indicative of a temperature, matches said predefined criterion. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said enabling comprises migrating popular data from said at least one disk drive to at least one other disk drive, having temperature not matching said predefined criterion. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said enabling comprises directing a read-request in respect of a first data located on said at least one disk drive to at least one other disk drive, having temperature not matching said predefined criterion and containing a second data which is sufficient for obtaining said first data. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said first data and said second data are identical. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said enabling comprises redirecting a write-request to at least one other disk drive, having temperature not matching said predefined criterion. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said predefined criterion is selected from a group consisting of a predefined threshold value, and a temperature value representing the measured temperatures of one or more disk drives. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said temperature value can be derived from a group consisting of:
 a calculated median or variation thereof of measured temperatures of multiple disk drives;   an average or variation thereof of measured temperatures of multiple disk drives; and   a maximum of measured temperatures of multiple disk drives.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising communicating with said at least one disk drive in order to obtain said data indicative of a temperature of said at least one disk drive, in order to facilitate said matching. 
     
     
         21 . A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of managing a plurality of disk drives in a storage system, the method comprising:
 monitoring a workload of at least one disk drive among said plurality of disk drives, wherein monitoring comprises obtaining data indicative of a temperature of said at least one disk drive;   to determining whether said data indicative of a temperature, matches said predefined criterion; and   responsive to matching said temperature to a predefined criterion, enabling modification of workload distribution across said plurality of disk drives in order to reduce workload of said at least one disk drive.   
     
     
         22 . A workload management unit operatively connected to a storage control layer comprising at least one processor in a storage system, the control layer being operatively coupled to a plurality of disk drives, workload management unit operable:
 to receive data indicative of a temperature of at least one disk drive among said plurality of disk drives, wherein said temperature is indicative of workload of said at least one disk drive; and   responsive to the receiving a temperature matching a predefined criterion, to enable modification of workload distribution across said plurality of disk drives in order to reduce workload of said at least one disk drive.